Sporting holidays gaining popularity in Europe

There has been a double-digit increase in sporting holidays among European tourists over the last five years, even overtaking cruises. According to the latest survey of the World Travel Monitor, commissioned by ITB Berlin, Germans in particular are keen on sports, accounting for 42 percent of the nine million sporting holidays taken by Europeans abroad. At 14 percent, the Dutch rank second. But in other European markets sporting holidays make up only 6 percent or less. Among sporting holidaymakers, the most popular destination is Austria, which among Europeans attracts 24 percent of the market, followed by Italy and Germany, which each account for 11 percent.The most popular activities among European sporting holidaymakers are hiking (38 percent) and cycling tours (23 percent). They are followed in third by motor sports (car, motorcycle and motorboat racing) at 14 percent and then, with 10 percent, golf. What is striking is that sporting holidaymakers belong to the wealthier parts of society and as such are a much targeted segment of the market.TravelandTourWorld[pictured: Tyrol, Austria]